Dustin Poirier leaves door open for fights with Conor McGregor, Max Holloway, Charles Oliveira, and more: "Definitely one of those guys"
Dustin Poirier has given fans hope of another appearance in the octagon after he recently discussed his potential next opponent. The former interim lightweight champion recently suffered a title defeat against Islam Makhachev at UFC 302 and initially hinted that his career may be over.
But after several weeks of reflection and recovery, 'The Diamond' revealed that his hunger for competition was far from satisfied.
During a recent interview with Jon Anik and Kenny Florian, the Louisiana native was given a list of names, including Conor McGregor and Alexander Volkanovski, and asked to confirm if his next fight was against someone on that list.
He confirmed as such, indicating that whoever the lightweight contender faces next will be a massive occasion.
Anik said this:
"Do you believe that your next opponent will come out of this batch of names: Nate Diaz, Conor McGregor, Alexander Volkanovski, Justin Gaethje, Max Holloway, Charles Oliveira, Colby Covington."
'The Diamond' responded with:
"100%... If I do fight again, and when I do fight again, it'll definitely be one of those guys you just said."
Watch Dustin Poirier's interview below from 1:31:00:
The former interim champion has grown into one of the most popular fighters in MMA over the past decade, and his recent comments about a potential next opponent will have the most die-hard Poirier fans some relief.
Dustin Poirier mocks Conor McGregor's recent injury
Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier share a rivalry that spans nearly a decade and across two weight divisions. The pair first met at UFC 178, where they clashed at featherweight.
'The Notorious' announced himself as the next title contender at 145 pounds with a first-round knockout of Poirier. But following the clash, the pair both went on to achieve great things before meeting for a second and third time at lightweight.
After 'The Diamond' exacted revenge over McGregor by knocking him out at UFC 257, the pair clashed in a trilogy bout at UFC 264, where the Irishman suffered a horrific leg break.
Having not competed since his broken leg, the former champion was expected to return against Michael Chandler at UFC 303 on 29 June. However, several weeks before fight night, McGregor suffered a broken toe, ruling him out of the clash.
His longtime rival chose to poke fun at the Irishman recently on X by responding to one of his posts with this:
"Touch that pink toe."
See Dustin Poirier's response to Conor McGregor below: